Yoga is more dangerous than previously thought and it causes more injuries than ever expected as other sports, study says.

5,000 year old Indian discipline is said to boost
physical and mental well-being, and celebrity fans include Beyonce, Lady
Gaga and Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen as well as David and
Victoria Beckham.

However, in a recent study yoga caused musculoskeletal pain which is mostly in the arms and in more than one in ten participants.

The
scientists behind the research published in the Journal of
Bodywork and Movement Therapies also found that the practice worsened
over a fifth of existing injuries.

Professor Evangelos Pappas, of Sydney University, the
study's lead researcher said: "Yoga may be a bit more dangerous than
previously thought.

"Our study found the incidence of pain caused by yoga is
more than 10 percent per year - which is comparable to the rate of all
sports injuries combined among the physically active population.

"However people consider it to be a very safe activity. This
injury rate is up to 10 times higher than has previously been
reported."

His team assessed more than 350 people who attended yoga classes at two studios in New York.
Yoga is an increasingly popular complementary or alternative
therapy for musculoskeletal disorders, with millions of people
practising worldwide.

Prof
Pappas said: "While yoga can be beneficial for musculoskeletal pain,
like any form of exercise, it can also result in musculoskeletal pain."

"In terms of severity, more than one-third of cases of pain
caused by yoga were serious enough to prevent yoga participation and
lasted more than 3 months.

"The study found that most 'new' yoga pain was in the upper
extremities - shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand - possibly due to downward
dog and similar postures that put weight on the upper limbs."

The study conducted with
Prof Marc Campo from Mercy College, New York, asked participants to
complete an electronic questionnaire at the start of the project and
again one year later.

Outcomes included incidence and impact of pain caused
by yoga and prevalence of pain caused, exacerbated, unaffected, and
improved by the ancient practice.

Prof
Pappas said: "It's not all bad news, however, as 74 per cent of
participants in the study reported that existing pain was improved
by yoga, highlighting the complex relationship between musculoskeletal
pain andyoga practice.

"These findings can be useful for clinicians and individuals
to compare the risks of yoga to other exercise enabling them to make
informed decisions about which types of activity are best.

"Pain caused by yoga might be prevented by careful
performance and participants telling their yoga teachers of injuries
they may have prior to participation, as well as informing their
healthcare professionals about their yoga practice. CONTINUE READING

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